Nemesia plant named ‘KLENE04146’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nemesia  plant named ‘KLENE04146’, characterized by its upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous large violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLENE04146’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia hybrid and referred to by the name ‘KLENE04146’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new upright and freely branching Nemesia cultivars with attractive flowers and good garden performance.

The new Nemesia originated from an open-pollination of the Nemesia hybrid cultivar Ravello, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified Nemesia hybrid selection during the summer of 2002. The cultivar KLENE04146 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since May, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘KLENE04146’ and distinguish ‘KLENE04146’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Numerous large violet-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant shape as plants of the new Nemesia are more outwardly spreading than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Nemo Blue, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Nemo Blue in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia were larger than plants of the         cultivar Nemo Blue.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Nemo Blue.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Nemo Blue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nemesia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘KLENE04146’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany, in an outdoor nursery during the summer with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched two times. Plants were about 6.5 months old when the photograph and description were taken. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrid cultivar KLENE04146. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Nemesia hybrid cultivar Ravello, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unidentified Nemesia hybrid selection, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 6 days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 days at 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 14 days at 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 17 days at 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading             plant habit; inverted triangle. Freely branching, typically             about 50 lateral branches per plant. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 20 cm to 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm to 30 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm to 4 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Length: About 2 cm             to 4 cm. Width: About 7 mm to 15 mm. Margin: Serrate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: 147A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147C. Venation, upper             surface: 146C. Venation, lower surface: 146D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers             arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards             apex. Flowers face upright and outward. Flowers last about             ten days on the plant. Flowers not persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from the             spring through the summer in Germany.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 25 to 30             flowers per lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm to 5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Rounded. Length: About 1 mm to 5 mm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Four upper petals are fused at             base to form an upright lobed and arched banner lip; lower             petal modified into a larger lip with nectar spur and             central protuberance which serves as pollinator nectar guide             and landing platform; petals, obovate. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Entire. Length: Upper petals: About 1 cm. Lower             petal: About 1.2 cm. Width: Upper petals: About 5 mm. Lower             petal: About 2.2 cm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: 86A; color becoming closer to 86B             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: 86D. Nectar guide: Close to 4A. Nectar spur, when             opening: Close to 1C. Nectar spur, fully opened: Close to             2D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape:             Oblong. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length:             About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Weak. Color: Close to 146A. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous.         -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Four per flower. Anther shape:             Reniform. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 10C.             Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 14A.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 1 mm. Style length: About 0.75 mm. Stigma color: 150D.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color:             Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesias. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Nemesia have good garden     performance; plants of the new Nemesia have been observed to     tolerate rain, wind and temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35°     C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘KLENE04146’, as illustrated and described. 